The Birthday Boy

Reacher is a year old today. He didn't have a party but I did take him to an obedience lesson this afternoon which was just as much fun. And I toasted his milestone at dinner with a glass of wine while he was outside racing around the yard.

Being a dog, Reacher doesn't understand birthday cakes and candles, presents with bows or party games. So, it's up to me to celebrate his growth and accomplishments over the 44 weeks we've been together.

Reacher was just over 11 pounds when I brought him home on October 16, 2011 and weighs about 53 pounds today. The vet projects his weight will be 64-65 pounds when he's full grown, in another six months or so. While he won't get much taller, he will continue to build muscle and bulk. 

Psychologically, Reacher's still an immature male, but he has made great strides in his behavior since October. I've worked at it, but I owe most of our success to continuing training with Evan Dunbar at FullContactK9. If I had to choose the one thing I celebrate most on Reacher's birthday it is,in Evan's words that Reacher has "learned to accept the correction." Hurray!!

Some of Reacher's other achievements during the course of his first year: he's crate trained, housebroken and he is fully (and finally) trained to the Invisible Fence so he has free run of the yard. Reacher loves that.

He also has learned to heel on a leash, sit and lie down on command and return to a sit when told. He understands the "place" command, meaning I can send him to a target spot when I need him to stay out of the way. That's amazingly useful. While he definitely knows what "here!" (come) means, has hasn't fully learned to accept that command. That's a work in progress. 

I admit Reacher still has a stubborn streak a mile wide, he has a penchant for digging holes and eating tennis balls and he spends most of his time in the kitchen because he still can't be trusted. On the other hand, he loves people, other dogs and life in general. He wiggles all over when he's happy, can bounce like a spring and is full of personality. I've often referred to him as my "happiness factor." And that's what I love most about him -- he makes me smile.